TiltAWhirl Of Emotion
by emzjuk
Summary: Can one day at the fair change the way two friends feel about each other? Completed fluffy twoshot written just because I felt like it! Glee disclaimer should be a given by now.
1. Chapter 1

Mercedes clutched the vouchers tightly in her hand as she walked through the parking lot of the motel. Today was definitely not going as planned. First her car had decided to stop working. There had been no warning. It just did nothing at all when she had turned the ignition in the morning so it was now in Burt's autoshop. And now Quinn had texted saying she had period pains and couldn't make it after all.

This left just her. Walking. After discovering a whole bunch of promotional flyers with free ride coupons in her father's dental office, she had hit on the idea of using the coupons to take Stacy and Stevie to the fair. They both knew that the kids had been dying to go, and as it was only five minutes from the motel, it had been hard for them to have to pass it every day, knowing that all their friends had been, but they didn't have the money to go. Tonight was the final night of the fair's short stop in Lima and Mercedes had realized that there was a way for the vouchers not to go to waste after all. She didn't mind going alone without Quinn but was disappointed not to have teenage company. And whatever you did, fairs were never quite the same when you were an odd number.

She quickly smoothed her hands on her skinny jeans and put a smile on her face as she knocked on the motel room door. The smile became genuine as she heard a cheer break out from Stacy and Stevie inside which was instantly shushed.

"Hey Mercedes!"

"Oh- hi!"

Much to her surprise, the door had been opened by a grinning Sam with Stacy clinging to his legs. He looked behind her with an expression of curiousity. "Where's Quinn?"

"She's sick. So I guess it's just me and the kids. More vouchers to go around!"

He seemed disappointed. "Okay, I guess that's cool."

'Of course he would be disappointed' mused Mercedes, Quinn may have been his ex but she was still pretty, and the two of them had finally resolved their differences and were getting close again.

He suddenly looked nervous. "Uh, it's a bit messy inside. Could you just wait here a minute while I straighten up?"

"Sure." She was in no rush. She smiled as he closed the door and within seconds she heard the sound of items being thrown everywhere followed by the sound of Sam's frustrated voice saying "Stacy, I don't know where you put your other shoe. _You_ have to look for it!"

Moments later the door opened again and Sam looked apologetic. "They're just coming." He looked behind the door into the room but made no move to go back inside again.

Mercedes involuntarily licked her lips. It had not escaped her attention that Sam was wearing and extremely well fitting faded black t-shirt with the Marvel logo across the chest. The combination of the shirt and his well-fitting blue jeans were doing things to her that she didn't like to think about. She needed to distract herself by making conversation. "So what time are you going to work today?"

He blushed and looked embarrassed. "Actually, I read my rota wrong. I'm not working today after all."

So that means Sam was actually free right now… "Uh- Okay…" She fought the urge to ask if he wanted to join them at the fair. A request like that from someone like her to someone like him would just be stupid. Right? She shoved her hands into the pockets of her skinny jeans nervously and fought the urge to pull out her phone and start playing with it as something to do.

"You know, I was just wondering-" her eyes shot up and met his green ones when she realized that he was actually speaking "- I don't really fancy spending all afternoon staring at these four walls. Do you mind if I take Quinn's place? I think it would be pretty cool to get a chance to go to the fair before it leaves town!"

"Sure." Mercedes hoped the relief didn't show too much on her face. "I'd like that. A lot actually!" So much for acting cool…

His smile was like a headlamp on full beam. "That's great. I'll get my sneakers. They're much easier to find than Stacy's!"

He had turned and darted back inside before she had a chance to reply to him.

Sam Evans was coming to the fair with her! Just her, him and the kids! Sort of like a date that wasn't actually a date… She bit her lip and chastised herself for harboring such foolish thoughts.

Sam sprang back into the motel room with the grin still spread across his face. Since prom he'd developed a bit of a crush on Mercedes Jones. Not a massive one like he'd had with Quinn, but a soft gentle _comfortable _one that made him feel all soft inside when she was near him. One that made her randomly pop into his thoughts causing him to smile. "Seriously guys, how long can it possibly take for you to get ready?"

"I'm done!" was Steve's reply. "It's Stacy who can't make up her mind which princess doll she wants to bring with her!"

"Yes I _have_!" scowled the little girl "I've chosen princess Tiana! Can we go now Sam?"

"Sure munchkin!"

Mercedes was busy playing with her phone when the three Evans children finally made their exit from the motel room. The kids pushed forward to hug her while Sam smiled shyly.

"Um. I hope you guys don't mind but we have to walk. My car is at Burt's. Besides, it'll be a nightmare trying to find parking nearby."

They were unfazed. Walking everywhere was nothing new to the Evans' at the moment and they really didn't have far to go at all.

"I wanna hold Mercedes' hand!" Stacy leaped forward and clasped not just her hand, but her whole arm.

"I wanna hold her hand too!" Not to be outdone, Stevie made a grab for her other one.

Sam put on a face like he was upset about all the fuss which didn't involve him. "Hey! Now I feel all left out! Who's going to hold my hand?"

Stacy looked thoughtful. "If Quinn was here you could have held her hand!"

Sam instantly blushed and stared hard at the ground. "Quinn and I don't do stuff like that anymore Stacy."

"I know. But just today you could make an exception. It makes me sad to see you all alone. We'll share Mercedes with you. Maybe you can hold her hand when we get to the fair!"

Sam's blush deepened and Mercedes really hoped that the way he was avoiding looking at her meant that he was also unable to see her blushes. "Let's hurry!" Was all he said, opting to walk at the front of their little group.

* * *

Considering it was the last day of the fair, Mercedes had expected it to be much busier. They hadn't had to do much standing in line and there were only a couple of rides that they still had not been on. As an automatic default, on rides with two seats, she had always gone with Stacy while Sam had taken Stevie.

"Hey it's Alice and James!" Mercedes felt a sudden tug on her hand as Stacy tried to pull her somewhere. "Hold up Stacy! Don't pull away like that, you can easily slip out of my hand and get lost!"

"Sorry Cedes. But it's _Alice and James_!"

Mercedes shot a questioning look to Sam who smiled at her confusion. "They're friends from school. Alice is in Stacy's class and James is in Stevie's."

"Oh right."

By this time the other kids had come over with what looked like their entire family. Alice and James both had brown curly hair and looked like they could be twins with the only difference being that James was significantly taller than his younger sister. There was another older brother of around ten or eleven with the same hair and freckles. The eldest was a girl of about their age, her hair had been straightened and hung loosely on her shoulders. She was very pretty, wearing an unnecessary amount of makeup for being at a fairground and the way she smiled at Sam made Mercedes slightly uncomfortable. Introductions were made all round. The other family were with their parents, Carl and Angela. Carl was blond and resembled a surfer while Angela was much darker with light caramel skin, perhaps mixed race which would explain the children's hair. The older sister was Brianne. 'It figured she'd have a name like that' Mercedes thought to herself. She was willing to place bets that she was probably a cheerleader in whichever school she went to.

"We were just going to grab an icecream. Why don't you guys join us!" Brianne's voice was smooth and rich and her eyes were 100% addressing the invitation to Sam rather than the kids. Her mom joined in "Yes! That sounds like a great idea!" She nodded her head down to Stacy and Alice who were already excitedly chatting and comparing their Beanie Babies which had been won for them by their older siblings.

Sam was torn, her didn't mind the idea of the invitation but he was also getting strange vibes from Mercedes. He could tell that she was feeling uncomfortable with the other girl. Quite frankly, he was feeling uncomfortable too. She was staring like she wanted to use him as the dish to eat her icecream from!

"Um… We were about to do a couple more rides. You know, _before _the kids have their icecream…" he said, his voice uncertain.

Stacy looked up at him with big eyes. "But Sam, I don't want to go on any more rides. I want to stay with Alice. Please can I stay with Alice?" She shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out a crushed dollar bill. "I remembered to bring my money so I can buy a Popsicle!"

It was Carl who eventually saved the day. After shooting a glare at his daughter for blatantly flirting at a boy who was clearly with another girl, he suggested that they take Stacy and Stevie for a bit to have their popsicles so that the kids could spend some time together and he could take Mercedes on some extra rides to use up their coupons.

"But you don't have to-" Mercedes felt bad at the idea of dumping the kids on someone else.

"_Please Cede!_"  
"_Please Mercedes!_"

This time the verbal assault came from both Stacy and now Stevie who had also retrieved his dollar and was proudly waving it about.

Sam shot her a frustratingly annoying smile. "It looks like we've been outvoted baby!" he said before pointedly looking at Brianne then beaming at Carl. "Thanks sir. That's really kind of you. How about we meet up in twenty minutes at the picnic table by the ice-cream stand?"

Angela smiled and linked her arm through her husband's. "That sounds like a plan. Come on honey, you know how long it takes for the kids to choose their flavors!"

They gathered the kids together and walked away.

Mercedes nudged Sam playfully "I think Brianne likes you!" she teased.

"Ugh please! She's scary. Like Santana scary!"

She laughed. "Yeah but you dated Santana!"

"True. That doesn't mean I ever actually stopped being scared of her at any point!"

She cocked her head to the side and raised one eyebrow. "Fascinating!"

Sam fell apart laughing. "Wow! That's the first time I've ever seen Spock with Divatude!"

"Divatude? Boy please! Don't think you're the only one on this planet who can do impressions!"

"If you call that an impress- OUCH! You for a short girl you pack a punch!" He was suprisingly proud of the hit that she'd just laid on him.

"Damn right I do! Nobody insults my impressions, my sci-fi or my comic book knowledge, Sam Evans. Count this as your first and final warning and don't make me mad!"

Sam took the warning with a smile. The more time he spent with Mercedes, the more he came to realize that she was absolute perfection. Suddenly a ride caught his eye.

"Hey, let's go on the Tilt-A-Whirl!"

Mercedes was unsure. "I don't know Sam. I don't want to get sick."

"Come on! It'll be fun! You won't get sick, I promise!"

She smiled. "Sam Evans, don't go making promises that you can't keep!"

"I promise l won't let you get sick Mercedes. Besides, there's no line so we can go straight on!"

"I'm not sure-" Sam wasn't taking no for an answer. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her in a slow run towards the ride gate. "Just the two of you?"

Sam nodded and they pointed towards a small booth that would have seated no more than three. "See," said Sam, "There wouldn't have been room for us to bring the kids on this anyway!"

Mercedes let out a non-committal sound, still stunned by the fact that he had just grabbed her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. She had to admit to herself that for those brief seconds she had enjoyed that feeling. And now here she was alone on the ride with him. The safety bar came down and the music started. She looked up to see his green eyes staring at her. "You're nervous aren't you?" he asked with a smile.

"No!" She lied.

"Don't worry Mercedes. I promise i'll take good care of you. And I won't spin us too much!"

"Wait! No Sam! No extra spinning! Please!"

He laughed at her fear, but it wasn't a malicious laugh, it was more reassuring and warming. "I promise not to spin us if you promise not to throw up on me!"

"Hey, you already promised I wouldn't throw up!"

He grinned, his voice getting louder as the ride began. "I lied. I just wanted you to come on this with me!"

She closed her eyes. "I've got a bad feeling about this!"

Sam smiled at her and put on a voice. "I find your lack of faith disturbing!"

Mercedes couldn't help but laugh. "I wasn't actually quoting Star Wars you know!"

And this is precisely what Makes Mercedes so awesome he thought to himself. "I know. But if the words fit and all that!" He smiled as he watched her grip the safety bar tighter and tighter. "You know, it's actually less scary if you keep your eyes open!"

She opened her eyes slightly to shoot him a death glare and got lost in the way that he was staring at her so hard. Suddenly there was a jolt and a tilt and she slid in the seat, crashing into Sam and pressing him up against the edge of the booth.

"Oh my god Sam I am sooo sorry!" She was sorry. Sorry for crushing up against him like that. But what she wasn't sorry for was just how good he felt against her. His body was definitely as firm as it looked, and his height compared with hers made her feel safe. She wasn't going to be sick or scared on this ride with Sam beside her like this.

"It's ok Mercedes. Really, it is!" He smiled as he watched her desperately try to move away from him back to where she had been sitting before she had slid, only to slowly realize that his arm was around her shoulder and she wasn't going anywhere. She looked slightly panicked and slightly scared but he liked the feeling of where she was far too much to let her go just yet.

Neither of them had noticed that the ride had actually stopped until the operator, a middle aged man in a slightly too tight t-shirt (in not such a good way) was stood before them with a smile slowly shaking his head. "Kids these days eh! OK, so as there's no line you and the other set of lovebirds over there can ride again as long as you have a coupon." Mercedes panicked and tried to stand. "Oh but we're not-"

She was stopped by Sam's hand which had slid down to her waist, pulling her back down into the seat beside him. The other hand had reached into his pocket and he was busy handing the man two more vouchers.

"But the kids-"

"-are fine! Quit worrying and enjoy this!"

But how could she quit worrying? The guy had referred to them as a pair of lovebirds and Sam's only response had been to smile. She thought he would have been the first to correct him.

He side-eyed her. "Sheesh Mercedes! What am I going to have to do to make you stop worrying so much?"

The music began and the ride started to move again. How the hell was she supposed to relax when Sam's arm was around her waist like it belonged there? Suddenly she felt a prod on her side where his hand was and she let out a gasp, glaring at him. That only seemed to amuse him and the prodding became a full on tickle.

It was a closely guarded secret that Mercedes Jones was ticklish. This was because she was very ticklish. Extremely actually. And it was precisely the kind of information that could be used against her if it fell into the wrong hands. Right now those wrong hands were the hands of Sam Evans who had finally worked out what he could do to elicit a smile from her, and now he knew he wasn't going to stop.

"Sam _please!_" Within seconds she was giggling so hard she could hardly breathe. It was a sound that Sam had not heard since prom. A magical sound. Something that he wouldn't mind hearing over and over again, and something that he was proud to be the cause of. A Mercedes Jones giggle. The loudness of the music and the speed of the ride meant that he had to move closer in order to be heard. Not such a terrible thing to have to do really! He leaned in and broke out a perfect Austin Powers impression in her ear. "Hmmm… I seem to have discovered your weakness pretty lady!" Mercedes was laughing too hard to reply and he fought his blush as he pulled her in closer. The amount of fun he was having right now almost scared him.

Yet again the ride finished too soon, but this time the operator just smiled and shook his head as Sam offered a third set of vouchers. Even Mercedes seemed reluctant to get up and leave this time. "Maybe one more" she said, between laughs. "But after that we have to go because I don't think my hair can take anymore of this!"

"You look gorgeous, I promise!" He smiled down at her and she avoided his eyes. In all honesty, her hair had messed up since being on the ride. Her ponytail had loosened and there were whispy bits all over the place. But it looked good on her. It looked _natural. _Quinn always looked like she had stepped out of a salon and hated to do anything that would make her look in the least bit disheveled. Sam had lost count of the number of times he had come into the motel room after work to see Mercedes rolling around on the floor with his siblings. Those were the moments when she looked her most natural. Those were the moments, like right now, when she was at her prettiest.

Then Sam noticed two things, firstly that he was now staring at Mercedes, something he quickly covered up by tickling her again, and secondly, he could have sworn that she was blushing. In the whole time he had known her he had never noticed her blush before. But this was the first time he realized that it was probably because he had never been close enough to her to be able to see it. Close enough, both physically and emotionally.

And that's when he finally understood it. This wasn't just a bit of a crush. He was totally attracted to Mercedes. He was attracted to her curvy body and the way that it felt so good in his arms and pressed up against him in this booth. He was attracted to her smile, both with and without the fruity lipgloss. He had probably always been attracted to those big doe eyes of hers since day one seeing as eyes were his weakness. And he was attracted to the way that she just let him be. He'd done two impressions since they'd been on the ride yet she didn't sigh at them like Quinn or roll her eyes at them like Santana. She laughed with him not at him. Maybe that's why he hadn't minded when the ride operator had thought they were a couple.

Maybe somewhere way deep down he kinda liked the idea. It was just such a shame that he was homeless now and couldn't do anything about it.

Besides. She was the Diva Mercedes Jones. What the hell would she want with him?

"Sam?" He was suddenly pulled from his shocking thoughts by her melodious voice. One more thing to add to the list of things about Mercedes that he really liked. "Sam we have to go now. Other people want to get on."

Yet again he hadn't noticed that the ride had stopped.

The operator looked apologetic as he helped Mercedes climb out but assured them that if they rejoined the queue they should be able to get back on for the following ride.

"Are you okay Mercedes?"

He watched as she took a few steps uncertainly, still slightly dizzy from the ride. Well, mostly from the right and slightly from the proximity to Sam. "Yeah I'm fine. Just getting my land feet again. We should go and find the kids."

"Yeah, I guess so. I think Stevie holds the record for speed eating a Popsicle!" Just in time, Sam managed to stop himself from automatically reaching for Mercedes hand (where the hell did that come from?) and instead settled for a guiding hand on the back of her shoulder as they maneuvered their way through the crowd to the picnic tables.

All too soon, the final vouchers had been used up and it was time to go. Stacy was yawning and Mercedes was finding it hard to look Sam in the eye after he had won a purple Beanie Baby 'for her' on one of the stalls. It took a frustratingly short amount of time for them to reach the motel and before she knew it she was hugging Stacy and Stevie goodbye. She was just having the internal debate with herself as to if it would be weird for her not to hug Sam after she'd just hugged his siblings when he suddenly unceremoniously told here to 'wait here' while he dashed inside. She contemplated whether to just leave and go when suddenly he was back.

"Sorry about that. I just needed to speak to my mom." He pulled the door shut and looked her expectantly. "Well come on then!"

She looked back at him with confusion. "Huh? Where are you going?"

"Don't you mean where are _we _going?" That only confused her even more.

"It's nearly dark Mercedes. I'm walking you home. I can't leave you to walk by yourself!"

"Sam its fine! I live less than ten minutes away!"

"And what kind of gentleman would I be if I left a young lady to walk the streets of Lima Ohio alone. Anything could happen to you and I would never forgive myself!"

Mercedes laughed softly. Quinn always said he was a proper Southern gentleman. She always found it annoying but Mercedes found it endearing. She was brought up by a dad who said a man should always treat a woman right.

They walked most of the way in silence, each trying to think of something to say to open up a conversation before dismissing it as stupid. Before long they were at the end of her street.

"So I had a really good time today." Sam shifted his feet nervously.

"So did I. Thank you for coming Sam."

"No. Thank _you_ for letting me take Quinn's place."

"And thank _you_ for my Beanie."

"It was my pleasure. The least I could do really." There had only been one purple beanie and it had taken Sam three attempts to win it for her. Stacy now had quite a collection of other colored ones that had been won during that process. "So what are you going to call him?"

"I don't know. As Stacy now had a Beanie for each of her princesses, I think I might have to call my one Prince Charming!"

Sam chuckled. "Prince Charming. Yeah. That's a pretty good name."

They approached her door sickeningly fast and that's when things got weird again. A handshake was too informal but if he went in for a hug would she think he was being too forward? He decided to hide it with humor. "So are Stacy and Stevie the only Evans kids that are allowed to get hugs from you?"

She smiled warmly. "Of course not!" And before he knew it he was enveloped in her softness. And even after hours of being outside she still smelled good. She looked almost sad as she turned and unlocked the front door and he knew that he wasn't going to budge until she was safely inside with the door completely shut.

The door was nearly closed when he called out to her. "Hey Mercedes?"

"Yes?" Her eyes peeked back round the door expectantly.

"Uh, can I see you tomorrow?" She smiled a smile so warm that he literally felt his insides going mushy. "I was thinking... well it's just that I'm taking the kids to the lake and they'd really like it if you came too."

She eyed him carefully. "Oh they would, would they?"

He shot her his most endearing and charming grin. "_They _would really love it."

"Okay. I will. For _them._"

It took all of Sam's willpower not to immediately fistbump the air and say 'YES'! Mercedes was going to spend the day with him tomorrow! Could things get any more perfect?

She was back inside with the door nearly shut when she turned around one last time. "Oh and Sam, tell the kids I'll be bringing cookies."

Yep. Things definitely could get more perfect!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Second part to this fic as requested._**

**_This chapter is dedicated to Mariposafria, the awesome writer of Urban Legends and Fairytales just for being awesome. It's also dedicated to everyone else affected by the storms/heatwaves/days of power outages. I hope things calm down for you soon._**

**_Apologies for any errors. I'm off to bed so will proofread tomorrow._**

**_Emz x_**

* * *

He saw her as she turned the corner, laden with bags. He tried and failed to ignore the fact that his heart most definitely skipped a beat at the sight of her. And the poor girl was trying to rush once she'd seen them! She wasn't late, they were early. Partly due to Sam's childlike anticipation. After instructing Stacy and Stevie not to move, he trotted over and relieved her of the bags.

"Wow! What are you carrying? I already said I was bringing sandwiches!"

"Homemade cookies and muffins!"

"Muffins?"

"Shhhh. They're a surprise. I was going to give them to the kids on the way home as a treat to share for all of you. I'm beginning to suspect your mom and dad never see any of the cookies I bake do they?"

Sam's sheepish grin was the answer she was already expecting.

"I hope you didn't have to rush too much Cedes."

She shook her head. "I wasn't rushing till I looked at the time. It's been a long while since I had to take the bus."

"Same here." Sam looked as if he was calling something to mind and Mercedes remembered that before this, his family did have a more than comfortable amount of money. He finally snapped out of it and looked down at her feet. "I hope you have sensible shoes because it's a bit of a hike between the bus and the lake!"

"Don't worry Sam" she smiled "I'm completely prepared for today!"

oOo

"Owwww!" Sam stared down at his hand which had just been slapped by Mercedes for attempting to reach into the Tupperware container of cookies. He pouted. "What did you hit me for?"

"The cookies aren't for now, they're for later!"

"But-"

"But nothing Sam. We're saving them for Stacy's tea party."

"Stacy's tea party?"

"Yep. But don't worry. You're invited. You just need to be patient. Anyway, I thought that you and the kids are going to play in the water!"

"We are. But you're coming too, right?"

She shook her head. "I didn't bring my swimsuit."

Sam bit his lip to hide his disappointment. To say that he had been looking forward to seeing Mercedes in a swimsuit was a complete understatement. He'd been planning all sorts of moves to pull to ensure that she would have to 'bounce' around in front of him. "I can't believe you didn't bring one!"

"Sam! I don't want to get the weave wet, okay!"

"You wouldn't have to get your hair wet!"

"Oh please. Are you honestly trying to say that once I go anywhere near the water, you and Stevie won't start splashing me and try to push me in?"

Sam smiled a guilty smile. Of course that's exactly what would happen. "Ok, I'll let you off for today. But next time we come I want to see you in a swimsuit!"

"Next time? Who says there'll be a next time?"

"I do. You're too much fun to hang around with." Sam felt his ears turn red and suddenly realized how stupid he sounded. "Er- and the kids- the kids say you're really fun!"

"Hmmm…" Despite giving him the side eye, she was unable to keep her lips from twitching into a small smile.

"_Sammy?_" Sam looked over to where Stacy was calling him. The relieve he felt at the distraction was immeasurable. "Sorry I have to-" He pointed to Stacy and was gone in an instant.

Mercedes was also relieved. She couldn't exactly tell him the whole truth of why she didn't bring her swimsuit. Obviously it was true that she didn't want her hair wet. But she would rather a hundred lake water sodden and matted weaves than Sam Evans seeing her in nothing but a swimsuit. Sure she rocked her curves, but there was something so exposing about a swimsuit that she just couldn't do in front of him. Someone like him. What would he think of her? He would never want to be seen hanging around with the likes of her after having been with Quinn and Santana. No, the more she kept under wraps, the better.

But that didn't stop her from watching them out of the corner of her eye. It didn't stop her from watching Sam as he pulled his shirt off over his head. It didn't stop her from admiring the way his shoulders were broad and how his back tapered nicely down to his waist. And when he bent forward to step out of his pants, leaving him just in a pair of simple black swim shorts… _Oh lord that ass…_

Boy should have just stayed bent over forever!

Mercedes licked her lips and finally managed to avert her eyes, reaching for her book and pretending to read for nearly twenty minutes all the while failing to notice that not only was the book upside down, but also that she wasn't actually turning any pages.

Finally she gave up, an idea forming in her head. She pulled the bottle of sunscreen from her bag and made her way over to where the kids were shouting and playing excitedly. Sam spotted her first, shooting her one of his lopsided grins that she did her best to pretend didn't make her insides turn into melted icecream. She couldn't be sure, but the way he was looking at her was almost as if-

No. She was being stupid. But she grinned to herself anyway at the sheer idea of it anyway.

"Stacy! Stevie! It's time to reapply your sunscreen!" They immediately stopped what they were doing and trotted over to her. Being blond they already knew the drill of reapplication when playing in water. She did Stacy first who then decided that she didn't want to go back to the water after all. Stevie was itching to get back and could barely stay still.

She was just putting the cap back on when a shadow fell across her. "Is there any left for me?" _Damn that lopsided grin was even cuter close up._

"Sure!" She handed him the bottle and avoided his eyes as he rubbed some of the lotion between his hands before sliding them first along his arms, then along his abs. Her mouth instantly became dry and she swallowed in a failed attempt to lubricate it. Taking a little more, he made a big show of putting it on his shoulders and trying to reach his back. He then grinned at her again, forcing her to catch his eye. "Mercedes?"

"Yes?"

"Er- do you think you could-"

Without a word she took the bottle from his hand, not trusting that her voice wouldn't come out as a pathetic croak or worse still, a squeal. He sat down patiently in front of her as his siblings had done before and she poured lotion into her shaking hand.

_Oh hell. Even the muscles on his shoulders were taunt and defined._

_And yes they did feel as solid as a rock!_

As she began to rub the lotion into his smooth skin she felt him breathing out slowly. _Had he been holding his breath? Why would he be doing that?_ She had no idea that from the moment she had touched him, Sam was struggling to hold it together.

"Stevie's not supposed to go in the water by himself!"

Sam and Mercedes were drawn to the sound of Stacy's voice. They both looked up to the water's edge to see a sheepishly faced Stevie. He then turned and glared at his sister for ratting him out like that. Sam quickly stood. "Thanks. I- erm – I'd better get back to Stevie before he disappears from sight. You coming munchkin?"

He held out his hand to Stacy but she shook her head. "I want to stay with Mercedes now."

"Okay…"

"It's fine Sam. We'll get prepared for the tea party."

Sam rolled his eyes and appreciatively watched Mercedes' retreating form as they headed off for some girl time.

By the time Stevie had had enough in the water, the girls had laid paper plates and cookies out on the blanket, together with cups of Kool-Aid and decorated the blanket with freshly picked flowers. Sam stalked over to them, completely unaware that the fact his decision to throw on just his jeans and leaving the upper part of his body dry out naturally in the sun was having such a distracting effect on Mercedes. The sight of him with his slicked wet hair, toned torso and low slung jeans were making her have the kind of thoughts that made her glad that telepathy remained firmly in the realm of fiction.

The sight of cookies made the boys move faster. Both Sam and Stevie went to sit by a plate each but Stacy quickly pushed Sam away. "Nooooo! You're doing it all wrong!" Her frown was deep and her pout was huge. Sam looked over to Mercedes to see if she knew what was going on but she simply shrugged and shot him a 'it's her tea party so it's her rules' look.

Stacy pulled Sam to the side. "We are having a tea party as a _family. _You're daddy, Mercedes is mommy and me and Stevie are the kids!"

"Okay…" Sam still looked confused. "So what do I have to do?"

She pointed to a spot near the blanket. "You have to wait _here_ because you're coming home from work. But don't worry, we've saved you some cookies!"

Sam looked unsure but did as he was told. "Is it okay if I put my shirt back on? They have a rule at work where you must be wearing a shirt at all times."

"Sure!" the little girl nodded as she returned to her place on the blanket.

_Nooooooooo! Boy be looking damn fine as he is!_ But then, the act of pulling the shirt back on, especially the way he had to stretch his torso more than made up for the lack of exposed skin. Her attention was diverted by Stacy who started handing out the cookies. Stevie reached for two but she rapidly pulled the box away from him. Finally realizing that it was in his interests to play along rather than resist he suddenly cocked his head to the side and said "I think I heard the front door!"

Right on cue, Sam pretended as if he was opening the front door before shouting "Is anyone at home?"

"Daddy! We're in here having a tea party!" shouted Stacy. She leapt to her feet and flung herself at the rapidly approaching smiling Sam.

"Hey munchkin!" He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the cheek before carrying her back to the others. "I missed you daddy!"

"I missed you too darlin'"

Mercedes cleared her throat and shot the little girl a stern look. "Stacy sweetheart, remember we must always excuse ourselves before leaving the table!"

"Yes momma!" Sam quickly released her and she sat back in her place as Mercedes continued. "Although I also accept that daddy was also partially to blame this time!"

She shot Sam a look and he returned it sheepishly. "Yes momma!" he said with a smile. Walking round to Stevie he rubbed his hair and pulled him into a one armed hug. "Hey Stevie!"

"Hey dad!" The boy's voice lacked enthusiasm. Mostly because he was just waiting to get started on the cookie and the drink.

Now was the moment he got to take a chance and hope that she would play along too. He slid down next to Mercedes, putting his arm around her for a side hug and sneaking a quick peck on her cheek. "Hey honey. Did you miss me?"

He could have sworn she was blushing as she bit her lip and struggled for a response, before finally looking him straight in the eye and saying "What do _you_ think?"

_What did he think? Right at that moment he thought that she was the most beautiful girl in the world and he wouldn't mind coming home every day to a family setup just like this! _But he wasn't going to run away with himself. He broke the moment he had created but grabbing the container and saying 'cookies' in his most excited voice.

It took a while for Mercedes' heart to slow down to its normal pace, but when it did she found her voice again and the tea party actually turned out to be fun. They shared stories, sang songs and ate far too many cookies. Stacy was hailed as the greatest tea party planner in the whole world and her smile beamed brighter than the sun.

oOo

"What are you thinking about?" Sam was sat on a large old fallen tree trunk on the water's edge, staring out into the distance with his chin in his hands when Mercedes perched on it alongside him.

He shrugged. "Nothing. And everything." He straightened his spine and sat upright. "This is the place where I come to just sit and think. When I need to get out of the cramped motel room I come out here."

Mercedes looked around them, at the trees and the waters and the plants. "It's so calm and serene here."

"It's beautiful." As Sam said the words his eyes were completely on her.

She began to shift under his stare. "I bet it's really gorgeous at sunset."

"It is. The colors are amazing. We should come here and watch the sunset one day."

Sam was still staring and she could feel her face burning. Before she could put together a suitable response her mouth betrayed her "Yeah, I'd like that."

She pretended to herself that the smile that broke out on his face in response to her reply was not one of pure joy.

"What time is it?"

Mercedes looked at her watch. "3.20"

Sam couldn't hide the disappointment in his face. "We have to go." He said sadly. "I have to work this evening and if we run we can catch the next bus back into town."

"Oh, okay." Mercedes felt it too. That feeling of knowing they should leave but not being ready to go yet. She wanted to hang out with them a little longer. She wanted to hang out with _Sam _a little longer.

On the bus home she was sat with Stacy and Mrs Evans wasn't back from from work yet which meant that Sam had to stay back with the kids rather than walk her home.

Neither of them were ready to say goodbye that day.

oOo

The next morning Mercedes was in a funk. She didn't feel like getting up so she stayed in bed until her stomach decided that its desire for lunch was greater than her need to hide away from the world. She moved around the house lethargically, wishing for company but having none. Spending time with Sam and the kids made her realize just how much she missed her brother. Just how much she hated being on her own over the summer. Most summers she would be hanging out with Kurt at the Mall, but this summer he had Blaine and all previous arrangements were forgotten in favor of the curly haired Warbler.

It was only after a post-lunch snooze on the couch in front of the TV that she remembered her phone was still on the kitchen counter. Seeing the missed call and voicemail she instantly hit 'play' hoping beyond all hope that it was Sam.

It wasn't. Of course it wasn't. Sam didn't have his phone anymore.

It was Burt letting her know that her car was now fixed and ready to collect. Finally she had the motivation to get out of the house. It still took her ages to get ready and actually leave, her motivation being the garage closed at 7 and she wanted to get there before it shut. She knew that Burt would let her pick up her car after hours but she didn't want to intrude on his family time.

Throwing on some comfortable clothes (a pair of skinny jeans and a pink and white striped top) she quickly freshened up, grabbed her keys and made the 20 minute walk to Hummel&Son Autoshop, making it there moments before it closed.

"Hey Mr H!"

"Mercedes!" He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. Her years of friendship and sleepovers with Kurt had made her practically a daughter to him. "How's the family?"

"They're good."

"I'm glad. Dad won't be quite so good when he gets my invoice for the work on your car, but that's all part of having kids eh!" He grinned and winked at Mercedes and she laughed back. Burt never charged them the full amount so she knew that her dad would have no issue with whatever work had been done to her vehicle. He reached behind the desk and grabbed a set of keys which he handed to her. "Good as new!"

"Thanks Mr H!"

"No problem. Just as long as I get another one of your hugs I can spend the rest of the evening happy."

She quickly squeezed him again and he laughed before excusing himself to freshen up and telling her that she could see herself out when she was ready.

She had just unlocked her car and was about to get inside when she heard her name.

"Mercedes?"

_It couldn't be…_

She turned around to see Sam heading towards her from the back office with a huge smile on his face. Again, if she didn't know better, she would have said that he was genuinely pleased to see her. If only she had made a bit more of an effort when she had got dressed to come out!

"What are you doing here?"

"Burt had some extra work for a couple of hours so he called me to come in and help out."

"But you just came from inside the house."

"Yeah. Carole let me have a shower afterwards then she wouldn't let me go until I'd had some of her turkey pot pie."

"Carole's turkey pot pie is legendary!"

"I know. But she also makes you eat lots of vegetables!" Sam wrinkled his nose in mock disgust and Mercedes laughed.

"They're good for you Sam! Are you the kind of guy that needs to be told every single day to eat his fruit and veg?"

_Are you applying for the job? Coz if you want it it's yours! _Sam bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair, unaware of the way that it caused Mercedes' breathing to deepen. "Let's just say I'm trying!"

They stood for a few moments just smiling at each other before Mercedes remembered her manners. "Hey do you need a lift back?"

"Sure!"

She climbed in the car as he slid into the passenger seat. As she placed her hands on the steering wheel another wave of sadness swept over her and she led out a small, barely audible sigh.

"What's up?" Sam was looking at her. _Again._

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. You looked sad all of a sudden."

"I'm fine!" she said, starting up the engine.

"You know can always talk to me. If, you know, you ever feel the need or anything…" He shot her what he hoped was his most earnest facial expression but she took one look at him and started giggling. "What's so funny?"

"You! Your face looked so serious but funny at the same time."

"Oh so now I have a funny face?"

"No. I'm not saying that. Barbara Streisand holds that title. Your face was just so cute!"

"Oh so now I'm cute?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled even harder.

"Stop distracting me Sam, I'm trying to drive!"

"What! I'm just trying to look even more cute!"

"Boy please! You'll never be able to compete with the cuteness of Stevie so quit trying!"

"Aww no! Don't make me compete with my own brother!"

"From where I'm sitting there's no competition!"

"You know, I should be mad but I'm not." He wasn't. He'd got her to go from sad to laughing in record time and nothing felt better than that. "I need you to time travel back to when I was eight and look me up. _Then_ we'll see who you decide is cuter."

Mercedes giggled as she kept her eyes on the road. "It'll still be Stevie!"

Before long it they were in the motel parking lot and it was Sam's turn to sigh as he took off his seatbelt.

"You don't want to go in there right now do you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

She nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I don't think I can face my empty house either."

An idea began to form in Mercedes' head but she was too scared to vocalize it. _It was nearly sunset. _Sam seemed to be having the same problem.

"You know we could go somewhere-"  
"Can we see the lake at sunset?"

They both looked at each other and laughed at the same time. "I think the lake would look awesome tonight." He said quietly.

oOo

She had finally opened up to him as they walked through the trees to the lake. She explained that her brother was supposed to have come and spent some time at home over the summer, but he was having so much fun with his friends that he had decided to come just for a long weekend at the end of the summer break. She missed him and now that he wasn't coming, the house felt empty with her in it all day all alone. And without Kurt around she was feeling it more than ever. Sam had taken her hand briefly and assured her that whenever she missed her sibling, she was more than welcome to spend time with his instead. That had made her smile.

He would do anything to make her smile.

And so here they were, at the edge of the lake. After picking an assortment of flat stones, Sam had attempted to show her how to skim them on the water. Unfortunately she hadn't had much success. But instead of being upset she was content just to stand and stare out at the water, the various orange hues reflected on it in stark contrast to the green trees around them.

"It's beautiful" she whispered to nobody in particular.

Sam couldn't agree more.

There was something about the moment that captured him. Being surrounded by all the colors made him feel like they were in the middle of a painting and the artist was still making brush strokes around them. Everything was so calm and quiet and serene. It was like the stage had been set and everything around them was frozen in place, waiting for something to happen.

Waiting for _him_ to make something happen.

"You're amazing. You know that?" As usual, Sam was doing his random blurting out of words, but this time in addition he was doing that intense staring thing again and she looked away, back out across the water.

"You don't believe me when I say that do you?" he pressed.

She shrugged, turning to face the water again, gently running her fingers over the smooth stone in her hand before flicking her wrist as she flung it towards the water.

One… two… three…

It finally sunk on the fourth.

She turned to Sam with a huge grin. "Did you just see that? I did it! I finally did it!" She held her hand up for a hi-five.

Sam lifted his hand to meet hers before stopping and shaking his head. "Hell that deserves more than I hi-five or a fist bump. I call for a celebratory hug!"

She chuckled. "You fool! Clearly Stacy isn't the only cuddle monster in your family!" But the grin didn't leave her face as she allowed herself to be wrapped in his arms.

Without realizing he closed his eyes and took a second just to inhale her and revel in her softness before pulling back slightly. He meant to grin but somehow it came out as more of a frown, suddenly serious in a moment that had been lighthearted. Sam couldn't help himself. He was experiencing a sudden feeling of drowning, overwhelmed with the moment.

Throwing caution to the wind he leaned forward brushing his lips against her smiling mouth. Against her full lips. They were so soft and his chest began to pound as he kissed her softly and gently.

But within a couple of seconds he pulled away, realizing that she had frozen like a statue.

That she _hadn't kissed him back!_

What the hell had he been thinking! He _was_ a fool! He had read the whole situation wrong and now he had made a complete idiot of himself. He stepped back, staring at the ground, absently kicking his sneaker on a patch of grass, wishing it was his own head that he was kicking. _How could he have been so stupid?_

"Sam?" Her voice was quiet, hesitant and confused.

All he wanted to do was run and hide from his humiliation. It had been the perfect moment and he had ruined it with his own twirling emotions. Sam Evans, always too quick to speak, always too quick with the goofy comments and impression. Dork extraordinaire!

He could barely get the words out of his mouth. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No- it was me! I didn't- I didn't expect it!"

Sam opened his mouth but for once in his life he had no words to day. He wanted to apologize, to say sorry for kissing her, but he didn't. He couldn't because he _had _wanted to kiss her.

She was mirroring his actions now, kicking at her own patch of grass and refusing to look him in the eye, taking his silence as an admission of regret. "I- I get it. Can we just forget that it ever happened?"

The question burned between them like a white hot light which refused to be ignored. And neither of them wanted the answer to be 'yes'. They both found their voices at exactly the same moment.

"I moved too fast and I shouldn't have-"  
"I never had anyone kiss me before-

They both suddenly jerked their heads back up, eyes meeting for the first time since the kiss as it suddenly dawned on each of them that they had both read the situation wrong. Mercedes was the first to speak. "You took me by surprise. I didn't know how to react. I didn't know what I was supposed to do! I guess I freaked out!"

Until that point it had not once occurred to him that Mercedes Jones had never been kissed. At least that was something that he _could_ remedy. Something he could do for her that didn't require money. He leaned forward and caressed her face looking her eyes onto his and refusing to let her look away. "I'm not sorry I kissed you Mercedes. I'm just sorry that I stole your first kiss like that. If I had known I would have wai-"

Mercedes raised her forefinger and pressed it against his lips to shush him. "You may have stolen my first kiss… But I'm gifting you my second." With that she stood on tiptoes and leaned upward on her toes to kiss him, her eyes closed and her head tilted up.

He knew that he should have respected the moment and closed his eyes too but he didn't. He wanted to see this. He _needed _to see this. Her beautiful face as he moved in to meet her for the kiss. Everything had been leading up to this moment. And from the second she had slid into him on the tilt-a-whirl, knocking not just her wonderfully soft self, but also some much needed _common sense_ into him, they had been on a crash course towards this moment. Or maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was prom… The beginning didn't really matter because right now he was somewhere in the middle. He thought of all the times that he had wanted to kiss her; in the midst of tickling her on the ride, as he had walked her home in uncomfortable silence afterwards, as he had watched her disappear through her front door, as he had watched her run towards her with her hands full of goodies... And then he was glad that he hadn't because _this_ was their moment. This was the memory that they were making. _This_ was their spot. The lake. At sunset. The world could do what it liked around them, but right here, in the little clearing, this little spot was theirs. Away from and absentee siblings, away from financial insecurity and homelessness, away from the prying eyes of the Glee club, the school and the whole damn town of Lima.

Mercedes was still caught up in her swirl of emotions as Sam moved to sit on the fallen log, pulling her onto his lap and settling his arms around her waist as he kissed her again and again while stroking her back gently. _Sam Evans wanted her! _Between that and the kisses it was all that her poor brain could handle.

As for Sam, he had gone from a soft gentle crush, to a firm and sure crush into something far more solid and tangible. He pulled back slightly and smiled as he stared into her soft brown eyes. She returned the smile without breaking his stare and he knew right there and then that this was something new. Something bright, exciting and a little bit scary, but something that he already knew he was more than prepared to fight for.

But for now it was just them, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the sun slowly set over the water, cocooned in their little world all of their own.

And they wanted to stay in it forever.


End file.
